Bloom is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Ford County, Kansas
Ford County (county code FO) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 34,287. Its county seat and most populous city is Dodge City. The county is named in honor of Colonel James Hobart Ford.
G ...
, United States.
Its
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
closed in 1992. At a 2018 estimate, the community had a population of 94.
History
Bloom was established by Thomas J. Vanderslice and Samuel O. Albright in 1887 or 1888. Vanderslice named it Bloom after his hometown of
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg is a town and the county seat of Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania and is located southwest of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre along the Susquehanna River. It is the only ...
. The small town sprang to life when the
Rock Island Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad
In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly k ...
pushed west. The town's original train depot can still be found in Bloom.
Bloom's population reached a few hundred in the 1930s but gradually declined since and is now less than 50. The Bloom High School Badgers closed in the 1964 when the town's school district merged with that of
Minneola, Kansas
Minneola is a city in Clark County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 738.
History
Minneola was founded in 1887. Its name is a combination of that of Minnie Davis and Ola Watson, the wives of pione ...
.
The small town once had a hotel, gas station, restaurant, post office, and lumber yard. Today, only a
grain elevator
A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...
business and private residences remain. Wheat farms and ranches surround the small town.
[Dead towns of Kansas, Internet website.]
Demographics
At a 2018 estimate, Bloom, Kansas has a population of 94. The same estimate also found that there were 37 households, with there being an average of 2.5 people per household. The median age is estimated to be at 35.8. The per capita income is estimated to be around $44,295, with about 4.3% of residents below the poverty line.
References
Further reading
External links
Images of BloomWichita State University Library.
* Ford County maps
CurrentHistoric
- KDOT
Unincorporated communities in Ford County, Kansas
Unincorporated communities in Kansas
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